412 REVISION OP THE AUSTRALIAN AMARYGMIDES, 



In attempting, then, a systematic work on this sub-family, it 

 appears to me inevitable to accept the certainty that the first 

 memoir of the kind must be very imperfect and mast be offered 

 as assuredly fated to much subsequent correction, inasmuch as 

 there are many names connected with descriptions by which it is 

 impossible to identify the insects on which they were founded. 

 Nevertheless, if the Australian Amarygmides are ever to be worked 

 out satisfactorily, the first step, it appears to me, must be the issue 

 of an imperfect memoir of the kind I have just indicated, and it 

 is for this I'eason that 1 have thought T might make a serviceable 

 contribution to the knowledge of our Australian fauna by gather- 

 ing together as large a collection of Amarygmides as I could attain 

 with the help of many obliging correspondents, and offering to the 

 Linnean Society the present memoir, which will, I hope, enable 

 the student without much difficulty to identify at least— (a) all the 

 hitherto named species that have been recognisably described in 

 memoii's scattered through many scientific publications, (b) certain 

 species of which I have been permitted to inspect authentic types 

 through the courtesy of Mr. Masters, Curator of the Macleay 

 Museum, and (c) a considerable number of species to which I give 

 new names. 



It will be seen from the foregoing remarks that I confidently 

 anticipate much eventual correction of my work, inasmuch as I 

 have been compelled absolutely to disregard some of the earlier 

 descriptions (especially some of those by Boisduval and Hope), and 

 it is of course to be expected that sooner or later someone will, by 

 examination of such types of the species of those authors as have 

 not perished, identify with them some of the species to which I 

 give new names. But the work cannot be done without accepting 

 that risk ; and as the readiness of my correspondents to lend or 

 give me specimens has brought into my hands a collection of the 

 sub-family larger probably thau any other extant, and I have 

 before me all the literature that has been published on the subject, 

 my opportunities are probably exceptionally favourable. 



I may say before passing on to a review of the work that has 

 hitherto been done in the sub-family and the statement of my 



